The present invention concerns an apparatus for the formation of a berm serving to confine a flow of contaminants or other matter from a construction site.
Governmental restrictions have been enacted toward preventing the flow of contaminates from a construction or other site which flow can be accomplished by the formation of a temporary berm about the site.
Such berms can be formed from particulate matter, preferably absorbent, to both block passage of matter and absorb at least a portion of the contaminates. Heretofore, such berms have been formed from material shoveled by workers into place to form a loosely constructed berm of non-uniform height and width and incurring considerable man hour effort. A berm so constructed often does not provide a reliable barrier. Further, the material used for such a berm must be stockpiled at the construction site, a problem when space is critical
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 2,541,547 discloses a machine adapted for travel along a ground surface and having a hopper to receive asphalt or like material which is subsequently deposited onto a roadway. Trailing members of the machine form raised molded structures on the roadway surface to denote lane separation, parking stalls and provide barriers.
The present invention is directed toward a apparatus which receives particulate material and progressively shapes same in a continuous manner to form berm for blocking and/or absorbing ground contaminating material.
The apparatus receives airborne material from an adjacent source and shapes same, in a continuous manner, into a berm. Provision may be made for altering the cross-sectional shape of the resulting berm, by adjustment of apparatus sides members with beam height varied by positioning the apparatus relative the ground surface. Important objectives of the present invention include the provision of a berm forming apparatus for travel along a predetermined course adjacent a construction site, or other site generating contaminants, to receive and shape material so as to constitute a barrier to the contaminants; the provision of an apparatus of compact construction which includes adjustable components to vary the cross-sectional shape of a berm being formed and further enabling collapsing of the apparatus into a compact state for transport to another work site; the provision of a berm forming apparatus of light weight construction permitting a worker to manually propel same; the provision of a berm forming apparatus having adjustable wheel assemblies permitting raising and lowering of the apparatus to suit berm requirements; the provision of a system for delivering and shaping particulate material from a source, such as a truck, having a blower and flexible delivery conduit serving the apparatus.